This invention relates to a muzzleloading shotgun with a choke that will condense the shot pattern, but which will still permit the shotgun to be loaded through the muzzle without removing the choke.
There is a need to place chokes on muzzleloading shotguns just as there is with any conventional shotgun. However, by decreasing the effective diameter of the muzzleloading barrel at its discharge end, by placing a choke thereon, it is commonly not possible to reload the shotgun through the muzzle without first removing the choke. This is an inconvenient and time-consuming task, particularly when conducted in the hunting field.
It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide a muzzleloading shotgun with a choke which will effectively condense the shot pattern, but which has a sufficient diameter that the shotgun can be reloaded without having to remove the choke because of its restricted diameter.
A further object of the invention is to provide a muzzleloading shotgun with a choke which is easily installed and cleaned.
These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
A muzzleloading shotgun has a barrel with a constant inside diameter that flares outwardly a short distance from the muzzle to a constant diameter. The muzzle end of the barrel has exterior threads which receive the interior threads of a choke. The choke has an internal diameter that tapers inwardly as it progresses from the end of the barrel to the end of the choke. The flared portion of the shotgun barrel allows the shot pattern to expand as it approaches the discharge end of the barrel. The shot within the constant diameter portion of the barrel becomes condensed as it moves outwardly through the choke to achieve the desired concentrated shot pattern. Because the choke is tapered from the enlarged diameter created by the flared portion of the barrel, to a narrower portion at the discharge end thereof, the effective internal diameter of the choke at its discharge end is still large enough to permit the shotgun to be reloaded through that end without the removal of the choke from the shotgun barrel.